For those of you not following our twitter or keeping up to date with the RSI transmissions the Cutlass Black has been opened up to all backers and will be available to fly for the next week. Good opportunity to get in there and give it a test drive if you've been thinking about picking one up at some point, or even just to try another ship out. The Cutlass Blue has also gone on sale again at the same time

The screenshots continue to floor me again and again. Stunning graphically.

God knows what ship I'll go for when the game is finished and I start progressing though. I've no intention of buying anything more than my 300i ahead of time, I'll do anything else for free when the game launches, but there are a heck of a lot of choices it seems...

"Perhaps this is what I have always wished for since that day. The loss and destruction of all. That's right, one must destroy before creating. In that case, if my conscience becomes a hindrance to me, then I will simply erase it. I have no other choice but to move forward....therefore!" - Lelouch vi Britannia/Zero, Code Geass: Hangyaku no Lelouch

Aye, I can't see myself buying any more ships now but rather trying to get them in the game itself, if I can that is. I'm sure some of the ships will be a bitch to get though or require a group effort in order to acquire. Or at least they should. Then again when I first bought the Hornet Ghost I didn't envision that becoming a Super Hornet some months later as well as picking up an M50 too

These free test drives are great though. I already loved the look of it but it was having a play about with the M50 last year which really sold me on it as it didn't just look gorgeous, it handled beautifully too. The Cutlass Red was looking like the next ship for me as I really like the sound of the whole search & rescue stuff and having a support role like that on the side would be nice to take up again. I still might get the Red but after having a fly around with the Black whilst it has been available I'm not as dead set on it as I was. The maneuverability of it just feels weird and kinda sluggish, maybe because I'm gotten used to flying my other 2 ships perhaps, not sure. I'll revisit it the next time they add it to our hangars though

"My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings:Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair!"Nothing beside remains. Round the decayOf that colossal wreck, boundless and bare,The lone and level sands stretch far away.

One of the big problems with the game right now is that people are expecting some sort of balance between the ships with regards to dogfighting, but that is not what the game is about. It's a problem though because the main focus of Arena Commander is shooting at another ship and racing.

Ships are meant to fulfill roles. Some are dogfighters, like the Hornets, but most aren't. Cutlass can do a whole range of shit that dogfighters can't, but so far, the stuff it can do doesn't yet exist as a module in Arena Commander.

In regards to the red, aye that is true. Feeling how the black handled (just flying around) kinda put me off going for the red next but you're right, I would be using it for a completely different purpose so it likely wouldn't bother me.With the Cutlass Black though. Will that one not been meant for dogfighting?. I guess the black & blue are more orientated towards bounty hunting but shooting other ships will come into play with that too right?.

"My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings:Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair!"Nothing beside remains. Round the decayOf that colossal wreck, boundless and bare,The lone and level sands stretch far away.

It's not meant to be defenseless, but you'd be wise to team up with others who do have dogfighting ships if you're going to fight dogfighters. It will never be able to go up against dogfighters and isn't intended to.

What the cutlass provides is its on board stuff that dogfighters don't have. Be it a medical bay, a prison bay, cargo bay, tractor beam-mount, etc. Functionality that dogfighters don't have and would need for certain types of missions.

Picked my black up as I love the Babylon 5 Starfury-like physics of its flight. I plan on enjoying exploring, was thinking a bit of potential salvaging when I can, and doing some cargo transport, all while wanting some teeth to defend myself if necessary.With an engine upgrade, 150t cargo, turret, wing guns, missile upgrade, tractor and docking collar - think I'm good to go. Also like the fact that its modular and in time I can swap out bays and equipment as needed.So yeah,arrrgh matey, oh s&^t, ignore that, errr... defensive, yup.

"Rarely is the questioned asked: Is our children learning?" George Bush, Jan. 11, 2000